Those thoughts were echoed by director J.J. Abrams. "There are so few people who are undeniably, brilliantly inspiring," the 'Super 8' director said in a statement. "Steve Jobs, a man who changed the way we create, the way we communicate, the way we live, was one of those people. I already miss knowing he is out there."

As part of his tenure at Apple, Jobs made digital editing and filmmaking a more realistic and low-budget option, affording those with a passion for film opportunities they might not have gotten in the past. "As an up and coming horror film director, I had to be careful how I spent use the budget for my films and one way of maximizing the budget was for me to also edit my own film," James Wan, the creator of the 'Saw' franchise and director of this spring's surprise horror hit 'Insidious' said. "Thanks to the technology that Apple created in my indispensible MAC computer, I was able to edit on my own without sacrificing quality."

Jobs purchased The Graphics Group from Lucas's Lucasfilm in 1986 for the now-low price of $10 million. The company later became Pixar, one of the most successful studios in Hollywood.

"Steve Jobs was an extraordinary visionary, our very dear friend and the guiding light of the Pixar family," Pixar's John Lasseter and Ed Catmull said. "He saw the potential of what Pixar could be before the rest of us, and beyond what anyone ever imagined.

"Steve took a chance on us and believed in our crazy dream of making computer animated films; the one thing he always said was to simply 'make it great.' He is why Pixar turned out the way we did and his strength, integrity and love of life has made us all better people. He will forever be a part of Pixar's DNA. Our hearts go out to his wife Laurene and their children during this incredibly difficult time."

Filmmakers on Twitter also paid their respects. "Farewell and R.I.P. Steve Jobs," wrote director Edgar Wright. "Written from a Macbook."

"Steve Jobs. On behalf of every dreamer sitting in his or her garage who is crazy enough to try and change the world, you will be missed," posted 'Prometheus' and 'Star Trek 2' screenwriter Damon Lindelof.